Science Focus-Science Teacher

Science Focus

Science Teacher-Deborah Burdette

At YES Charter Academy, our students’ focus is on science and our environment. Using the Seeds of Science, Roots of Reading philosophy has given each class the ability to learn in a manner that is fun for both the teachers and students. During the school year, each of our classes studied different aspects of this program. Below is an example of what they have and continue to experience:

1. Soil Me This, Soil Me That What would life be without soil? How is soil made? What organisms live in the soil? Our K – 1 and 2 classes sifted through facts about soil as they read wonderful stories on the subject. They created a worm composting bin to collect worm castings for the garden and learned about caring for the worms. How do worms reproduce? Where does soil come from? What does it mean to think like a scientist? Our little scientists have been in action with their explorations!

2. The Light and the Dark of ItStudents in grade 3 and 4 have been learning about light. What is refraction? What is reflection? What are light’s properties? Does light move? Does it bend or break? What is light? Students are exploring all of this and more as they delve into the hands on experiments in a “dark room”, read stories and research about light, and write as scientists in their daily lessons.

3. Geography in Time Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 are going back in time as they carefully examine rocks and formations, learn about mapping and environmental effects of erosion, natural and man-made features of geography, and much more! These classes have the great privilege of participating in real scientific research as they complete their scientific inquiry projects and test themselves along the way to report back what they are learning and provide feedback to the publishers and writers of the Seeds of Science, Roots of Reading curriculum in the Lawrence Hall of Science and California State University, Berkeley.